Thanks for the review Abuhin. Glad to see you still reviewing, and yeah I killed Amanda, but trust me some more people are going to join her. I also liked the Akin and Blade clash too, I really worked hard on that little fight scene.

Chapter 8

Birthday Girl

Blade sits in the shadows, wrapping a piece of rubber tubing around his arm, injecting himself with pneumatic syringe of serum. He shivers, convulses violently, then throws back his head in relief. When he does so, he see's Dawn staring at him.

"What are you looking at, kid?" Blade asks.

"Are you doing drugs?" Dawn asked.

"No." Blade replied as he took the needle out of his arm. "I'm half vampire, half human. I need that serum, in order to keep from feeding off of humans." and he was slowly running out of the stuff. When he came to this dimension, he went to LA and he found a guy that almost duplicated his serum, but it just wasn't as strong as the original. He got money to pay for it and to live off of by mugging vampires and pawning their jewelry and other things from their nests, before he dusted them.

"Have you tried feeding off of pigs blood?" Dawn asked.

"When I was younger." Blade replied honestly. He never told anybody, but when he was younger, Whistler had him to try to drink animal's blood, but it wouldn't take. The thrist only came back stronger than before. That's what got them to develop the serum in the first place. Speaking of Whistler he really missed the old man.

"How does a little girl like you, know so much about vampires anyway?"

"My sister used to date one." Dawn replied innocently.

"I don't want to know the rest." Blade told her, not believing his ears as he stood to his feet.

"What you said last night..." Dawn said as she stood to her feet and walked up to him. "Did Kendra really say all of that?"

"Yeah." Blade told her as he put on his shirt and started checking his ammo. Which just like his serum was running dangerously low.

"Are you going to stay and help us?"

"Do I have a choice." he countered. "Now come on, let's go downstairs and see what the others are doing."


"We're going to scour de city." Kendra was saying as she paced about the living room of Sheila's house. She couldn't believe that she had lost Dawn. Buffy had given her one job and she had failed. Suddenly the front door opened.

"Dawn!" Kendra shouted out as she ran for the door. But as it opened up all the way, she saw that it was Giles, Sheila, and a cute asian girl.

"Oh it's you." Kendra said as she steps back.

"Good morning to you too." Sheila says sarcasticly as she walks into the door. Giles and the asian girl follow.

"I'm sorry." Kendra says as she gives Giles and Sheila a hug. "I just found out dat Dawn is missing." As if on cue Dawn and Blade walk into the room.

"Oh my God, Dawn." Kendra said worriedly as she runs up to her and gives her a hug. "I was worried sick, about you."

"I'm sorry." Dawn whispered into her ear. They only hugged each other a little tighter.

"Now that, that's settled." Giles said, making his presence known. "I wanted to introduce to you all a new potential. Her name is Chao-ann." at the mention of her name she waved to Kendra and said something in Cantonese.

"What did she say?" Kendra asked.

"She said, she's happy to meet you." Blade says as he steps forward.

"You understand what she's saying?" Giles asked. Blade just nods his head. "Thank God! My Cantonese is rusty. I'm terribly sorry for being rude." Giles said as he extended his hand. "You must be Blade?" Blade just gave him a confused look as they shook hands.

"Oh um... Akin called us last night and told us what was going on." Giles informed him.

"And hello Mr. Blade." Sheila said as she pushed Giles out of the way and shook Blades hand. "My name's Sheila and this is me home."

Blade just looked at her and a little smile tugged at his lips. Just as he was about to say something to her, Akin strolled into the room.

"Good morning to you all." Akin said as he scanned the room. "Ah Giles, you've arrived. Are you ready to... do as we discussed or do you want to handle this at a later time?"

"I actually think that today would be the best time to...handle our business." Giles said as he took his glasses off and cleaned them on his shirt.

"What are you guy's planning?" Kendra asked as she looked at them suspiciously. It seemed like they were hiding something. "I thought dat you were going to train de girls today."

"I was but...something came up." Akin told her as he glanced at Sheila and Giles. "But I'm sure that Blade wouldn't mind taking over the training for today?" Blade merely glanced at him and grumbled. "I guess that's a yes. Now come on, before we leave I want to show you the weapons room."

As they walked into the downstairs basement and walked into the weapons room Blade was amazed at the assorted weapons lying around and hanging on the walls. What was most impressive was that each weapon looked exactly like his own.

"I asked you down here to talk." Akin said as he sat down on a stool.

"I figured as much." Blade replied as he picked up a double bladed boomerang.

"I have to do something today, but I need you to keep Kendra and the others occupied."

"What are you going to do?" Blade asked. Akin just looked at him and smiled.

"I'm getting a friend back."


"Do you guys know why Giles and de others are acting so wierdly?" Kendra asked as she pulled Willow and Tara to the side.

"I...I don't know ...wh...wh what's going on?" Tara stuttered out. Kendra just looked at her suspiciously. Tara never stuttered unless she was nervous.

"May...maybe it's something for your surprise birthday party." Willow babbled out.

"Willow!" Tara shrieked as she looked at her girlfriend.

"A birthday party?" Kendra asked with a smile on her face. She had forgotton all about it amongst all the chaos and doom. "For me?"

"Yeah you weren't supposed to know about it though." Tara said as she gave Willow a look "So please, just for us just act like you don't know what's going on, when the other's come down here."

"Willow, Tara are you ready?" Akin asked as he walked into the room.

"Yeah." they both said in unison as they fell into step behind him.

"Willow told Kendra that we were giving her a surprise birthday party." Tara whispered to Akin.

"For what we're giving her, then it'll be time for a celebration." he whispered, then louder "Kendra we'll be back by the end of the day." she only nodded as they walked out of the house.

"So where are we going first?" Willow asked as she got in his firebird where Giles and Sheila were already waiting. Akin looked at her and let out a sigh.

"We have to visit Xander's parent's." Akin answered as he got into his car.


Blade walks outside and stands beside Kendra as they watch the girls train. To say he's impressed with how far they came along in such a short time is an understatement.

As Kennedy looks up from training the girls, she see's Blade and smiles. Turning a scowl to the potentials, she runs off and joins the two.

"So what do you think?" Kennedy asks looking up at Blade. "My girls ready to kick ass or what?"

"Their fucking pathetic." Blade grumbles as he crosses his arms over his chest. "But with my help, I'll whip them into shape."

Suddenly a scream permeates the air. With lightning speed Blade takes off like a shot towards the house, Kendra a step behind him. Kendra follows Blade down a hall into another bedroom where they find Eve hung from a bed sheet from the ceiling.

"I found her like this." Dawn informs Kendra, as she and Dierdre stand there looking horrified.

But Kendra keeps staring, stunned, as Eve's body hangs from the ceiling by a bed sheet twisted around her neck. Kennedy, Rona, and the other potentials come into the room and join Blade, Kendra, and Dawn..

"What happened? We heard..." Kennedy stops as she gasps and covers her mouth.

"Dawn, get my sword." Blade tells her. "Be careful with the hilt. Move, because we're cutting her down now!" he says. Dawn scampers off to do as she's told.

"Good thinking." Eve/First says as she suddenly appears and stands beside Eve's hanging body. "But, on the other hand, why rush? Up or down, I'll still be dead. You can't save them all now can you Blade?" she asks as she looks over at Blade and smiles. Blade catches her meaning and growls.

"You're not Eve." Kendra replied.

"Yeah, well, neither is she, anymore." Eve/First says with a shrug. "Now, she's just Eve's body."

"What did you do to her?" Kennedy asks horrified.

"Nothing!" Eve/First said in Eve's southern drawl. "After I got done talking to someone else, we talked all night. Well, I did most of the talking, but Eve is...I'm sorry, was a good listener. 'Til she hanged herself." then she turns and looks to Kennedy. "Like when you called her maggot - she really heard that."

"Don't listen to it, any of you. It's de First." Kendra tells her so she want feel guilty.

"Oh, let 'em. The only reason why Eve offed herself is 'cause she knew what you're not getting. I'm coming, you're going. All this - it's almost over. Be seeing ya. Sooner or later." she said as she blinked away. Just then Dawn comes into the room and gives Blade his sword.

Twisting the sword in his hand he reaches up and in a stiff chop, he cuts the rope and Eve falls into his arms, as he drops his sword.. As he shifts her body in his arms he takes, the makeshift noose from around her neck.

"This is what I meant earlier." he addresses the group, not taking his eyes off of Eve's pale face. "When you asked me were your girls ready. Well this is your answer. For a battle you can't just be prepared physically, you have to also be prepared mentally. She wasn't and I suspect alot of you aren't. Well here's the first lesson I want you girls to learn from me. More of you are going to die and just like I'm going to do to this girl, I'm going to have to bury you."

"How do you know that you're not going to die?" Annabelle asked.

"Because..." Blade started as he looked up at her. "I refuse to let the enemy defeat me. Which is the mind frame I want the rest of you girls to have." he said as he walked to the door with Eve's body. "Kendra get me a shovel."


Akin let out a sigh as he drove up to the house Xander grew up in. Every memory Xander had of this place came flooding back to his mind. With another sigh, he got out of the car, walked up to the house and knocked on the door. After a moment the door opened and a bleary eyed woman answered the door.

"Xander!" the woman shouted as she immediately latched onto him. "My God I haven't seen you in almost four years." she said as she cried into his chest. Akin let her cry on his chest for a few moments. It was a long time since he felt the love of a mother's touch. And that's what this was... it was a mother's love. Thinking of the business at hand, he pushes her back gently.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Harris, but I'm not your son."

"Nonsense." Jessica Harris says as she let's go of her son. "Now stop goofing around Xander and come in here."

As Akin walks into the house, he let's out his third sigh for today. He really didn't want to give her hopes up.

"Xander you've changed." she said taking in her son's appearance. He had bulked up alot since she's last seen him. He alway's used to be skinny, but now he picked up about thirty pounds of weight. Not fat, it was just pure muscle.

"Like I said before Mrs. Harris, I'm not your son." Akin told her.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"I'm afraid so, ma'am." he said. Just then the front door opened and in strolled Anthony Harris. "Oh good, you're here." Akin said as he looked at the older man and sneered.

Cut to Blade digging a grave behind Sheila's house, while the potentials watch on.

"So you're really not Xander?" Jessica asked at the end of Akin's story. He had finally told them what Xander should have a long time ago. He told them about the demons and the darkness and what happened to Xander.

What he and Xander didn't know was that Anthony and Jessica already knew about demons. When they were younger that's how they met. Jessica was on a date with another man in the park making out. Then a vampire attacked. Her date ran away and left her with the vampire and when she screamed for help, that's when Anthony showed up. After he accidently was able to stake the vampire, the two started dating. And they'd been together every since then.

They even went to Mayor Wilkins the second. They didn't know that he was really an evil arch mage, that would later become Mayor Wilkins the third though. They explained the problem to him and he believed them. He set up an anti demon committee and used that to explain why so many people died. He said that it was a gang on drugs that was killing people. As a reward for giving him that idea, which really came in handy because he didn't want a demon destroying the town before his Ascension, he promised that he would keep any children that they had together safe. That's why Jessica and Anthony never told Xander. They felt that he would be protected.

"No ma'am I'm not." Akin answered.

"Then what the hell do you want then?" Anthony asked. "Because if it's money, we don't have it."

"I don't want your money." Akin said as he looked up at the man with a sneer. "I want your blood."

"What are you talking about?" Jessica asked.

"I modified a spell called Necromancer's gateway. The only way I can open it up however is to have the blood from Xander's bloodline."

"How much blood do you need from me?" Jessica asked.

"Not you." Akin said as he gave her a meaningful look. Now he knew where Xander got his nobility from. "Him." he said pointing at Anthony.

"No fucking way!" Anthony growled as he stood to his feet.

"Now you listen to me you son of a bitch!" Akin grumbled as he stood to his feet. "Xander is in a bad place, where he might end up getting killed. Now either you're going to give me your blood or I'm going to take it." he said as he pulled out a dagger.

Anthony just looked at him and sighed. Sitting back down in his seat he looked up at Akin thoughtfully. He didn't hate Xander, he never did. He would never admit it but he hated hurting the boy. Every time he would abuse him, Xander just had a look on his face. A look he knew he gave his father, when he would be beaten. At that moment Anthony realized that all he was doing was repeating the cycle of what his father did to him long ago. He became something he promised he would never become. He became an abuser.

"How much blood do you need?" Anthony asked as he held out his arm. As Akin collected the sample of blood he needed in a specimen jar, he stood to his feet and walked to the door.

"You know." Akin said as he opened the door. "Xander still loves you." he said as he turned around and looked at Anthony. "I still have his memories and even after all of the times you beat and abused him, he still loved you. I suggest you let him know that you still care for him." with that he walked out of the door. Anthony looked at his retreating form and sighed. Rubbing at his arm where the cut was made he looks at his wife. As she looks back at him she gives him a kiss like she hasn't done so in years. For she knew that something in his heart has changed.

"So how did everything go?" Giles asked as Akin got back into the car.

"Easier than I anticipated." Akin said as he started up the car. "Now let's get to work."

Hours later

Magic Box

Akin again sat in a sacred circle with his eye's closed, in the backroom of the Magic Box. He had Willow, Tara, Giles, and Sheila sitting around him at the corners of the pentagram, chanting in latin. As they made the modification to the spell, a portal suddenly opened in the room. Looking up Akin smiled at his new friends.

"Goodbye!" he yelled over the noise of the swirling vortex. With that he jumped inside.

As he landed on the ground, Akin stood to his feet and looked around. He was in a dark and dissolate forest. He could smell the stench of burning bodies and the dead. He remembered this time. It was during slavery, when he took over this host.

The host tried to use his powers to stop some slaves from being killed and he got caught. Akin could remember that night well. The host was beaten to death. 'And since Xander's here then he is the host.' Akin thought to himself. Redoubling his efforts he set off for a run towards the nearest town.

After about a mile of running, he finally makes it to the city and hears a scream. As he goes to the source of the scream he see's a young girl clutching her arm blackened by burns, while dogs feed off bodies in mass graves. The images still haunt Akin to this day. Ignoring what he see's because he can't help them, he moves on to a cabin like building.

As he walks into the cabin he see's Xander laying prone on the ground, bleeding from a dozen places as his chest heaved from the exertion. If Akin remembered correctly the men who did this to him, were out preparing a noose for him. With tears forming in his eye's he get's down on his knee's and helps Xander to his feet.

Suddenly Xander's eye's open and he looks at the person holding him up.

"Hey buddy you look like me." Xander says weakly as blood starts to slowly leak out of his mouth. Akin just gives him a sad smile.

"It's me brother. It's Akin." he told him. "I'm here to take you home."

"Home?" Xander says weakly as he collapses in Akin's arms. Taking a coin out of his pocket, Akin throws it into the air. As if frozen in time, the coins hangs in the air and from it a silver portal opens. Taking another look at the time, Akin fought hard to forget, he lifts Xander into his arms and jumps in the portal.


"D...do you think Akin can get Xander back?" Tara asked Sheila.

"If dare's one ting I know about Akin, he neva' gives up." Sheila replies. As if on cue a silver vortex opened up in the room. In a flash a body fell through the portal and fell in a heap to the floor.

"Xander." Giles said to himself as he stood to his feet and picked up Xander and put him on the couch in the room. As Giles looked over his bruised body, he sighed in relief as he just found him to be unconcious. As the portal was about to close, another figure emerged out of it.

Giles immediately grabbed a short sword and got in a defensive stance. Akin warned him of this. He told him that Xander was the only one coming back out of the portal, but if another spirit tried to come out to defend himself. As the portal closed behind the figure he finally came fully into view. He was a tall powerfully built black man, with short dred locks. (He didn't have the scars on his face anymore.)

"Who are you?" Giles asked.

"It seems that the powers want to make sure, I hold up my end of the bargain." the figure said as he looked down at his body. "It's me Mr. Giles. Akin Bembola." As he says this the group notices something else. They notice that not only is Akin back, but he's also very, very naked.

"Oh my." Sheila says as she takes in his body, or rather a certain part of it.

"Wow!" Willow exclaims as she looks at it.

"Willow!" Tara says as she looks at her girlfriend with a horrified expression.

"Gay or not, look at him." Willow replied, making Akin blush as he tries to hide his shame.

"Good Lord!" Giles roars hearing enough. "I'll go and gather you some clothes." Giles said as he turned to leave. Then he stopped and looked back at him. "Akin welcome back to our physical reality and welcome to the team." with that he grabbed Sheila, who was still gawking at Akin, and they walked out of the room.

"I'm going to call Kendra and have her meet us at the Bronze." Tara said as she grabbed Willow by the arm and dragged her out of the room. Leaving behind the still unconcious Xander and Akin.

"At last we get to finally meet in this reality, brother." Akin said as he smiled down at unconcious form of Xander.

later that night

The Bronze

Kendra sat down on a couch at The Bronze and smiled. She was glad that Blade was here so he could take some of the stress off of her. He may be a bad ass, but he had a soft spot in his heart for children.(The potentials are at Sheila's house with Blade.) She was still sad about Eve's death though, but she put on a front for Dawn and Dierdre. As she continues her conversation with Dawn and Dierdre, Willow and Tara run up to her.

"Happy Birthday Kendra!" they both of them chorised at the same time. "Here are your present's." Willow said as she handed her two boxes. "But trust me open them later, you're going to enjoy the present that Akin got for you." she said as they walked off. Kendra just looked at them confused. Next came Sheila and Giles.

"Happy Birthday Kendra." Giles said as he handed her a small box.

"Tank you Giles. Now why were you guy's acting so weirdly today?" Kendra asked.

"Because of him." Sheila said as she pointed over her shoulder. As Kendra looked up she saw Xander with a suit on, staring at her intently. "Take dese..." Sheila said slipping something into Kendra's pocket. "And go and talk to him." Kendra just looked at her in confusion but did as she was told.

"Why is Akin looking at Kendra like dat?" Dierdre asked.

"Because it's not me." Akin said as he walked up behind her making Dierdre and Dawn jump. As they turned around they saw a handsome black man wearing a suit, with his hair cut low.

"Who are you?" Dawn asked.

"It's me little one." Akin said as he caressed her cheek. "I'm Akin."

"Akin?" Dawn asked. "Then who is...Xander!" she shouted as she stood to his feet.

"Say hello to him later." Akin said as he layed a hand on her shoulder. "I think he and Kendra need some time alone. In the mean time could I have this dance?" he asked as he held his hands out for Dierdre and Dawn to take. They both giggled like school girls, took his hand and went out to the dance floor. Sheila and Giles looked at each other and shrugged. Taking each other's hand, they moved to the dance floor.

Kendra approached Akin with caution. Something about the way he looked at her was unnerving. It was just like the way Xander would look at her.

"Happy Birthday Kendra." Akin said to her as she approached him.

"Tank you. Sheila said you had something for me?"

"Yeah." he said as he took a black box out of his pocket and gave it to her. As she opened it she saw a beautiful engagement ring. But most importantly it looked just like Xander's. As Kendra looked up ready to question him, he pulled her into a kiss. It was a deep and passionate kiss.

"Xander?" Kendra asked. "But how..."

"I'll tell you later." Xander said cutting her off as he puts a finger to her lips. "Let's just dance."


Unseen by them, Johnathon leaves the club. He had heard all of what they said and he was heartbroken. He was glad that Xander was back, a part of him wished he didn't. He was going to tell Kendra that he loved her today, but his plan was ruined.

"Oh sorry." Johnathon said as he bumped into somebody, snapping him out of his musings. Looking up he see's a cute black girl. "Hey you look like Ashan..."

"Everybody tells me that." Lissa said with a smile. "Hey you want to go somewhere and have a good time?" she asked with a mischevious grin. Johnathon looked at her and then back at the club.

"It's not like I have anything better to do." he said as the two walked off. Unknown to him this was going to be the last mistake he was ever going to make.


Xander and the others are having a good time dancing around and talking. They've been fighting for so long, that they had forgotten that they were all still young. He was very surprised how big Dierdre and Dawn had gotten. Dierdre turned into a exotic beauty like her older sister, while Dawn was just starting to fit into her body. He was very saddened though when he found out that Buffy and Joyce were dead though. Little is known to them but somebody is watching them.

"Enjoy your laughing and smiles now." Eve/First says as she leans back at her table at the Bronze and watches them. "Because it's going to be the last time you do either one." with that she blinked away.

TBC...

Please review...

Blade wasn't the only person I planned to bring over into the hunter universe. I was going to do a crossover with another one of my fanfics called problems with the soul. I was going to bring over the tara from that dimension over to help them, but I decided against it.